I feel like I am constantly in conflict: On one hand, I am a huge Microsoft fan. They've always been good to me, and they continue to make life easier for me as both a developer and a consumer. On the other hand, I love Google. They have taken over just about every aspect of my life, now extending to the one device I rely on most. I feel like there is some conflict in this position, that somehow I shouldn't be committed to both sides of the fight.
That said, Google is clearly dominating in the mobile market. I'm still quite in love with Android and the community Google has built around the OS. I found out this morning that the CLIQ was successfully rooted, so even if Motorola decides to abandon me (again), I should have a route to getting 2.x, if not at least 1.6. Really all I want is Google Maps with navigation, but that's only for 1.6 and above. I'm willing to trust Motorola for now, but I'm hoping they'll hurry up and push out a 1.6 update for MOTOblur. It's been out for a while now, and I can't imagine the codebase for blur needs to change all that much.
In things not relating to the huge crush I have on my phone, my car came back from the dealer today with a brand new back windshield. Apparently it is easier to replace the whole thing rather than repair the defroster, which I guess I'd believe. There are masking tape band-aids around the panel, and I have to let the glue finish setting before I can take them off.
I haven't much else to say, really, since I haven't been doing much of note. I really should get my homework done so I'm not doing it all the Sunday before school starts again. Oops.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
New Phone I: Gushing
Let's talk phones again. Or is it still? Regardless.
I bought a new phone today, and it has been wonderful. I drove out to the T-Mobile store this morning around 10, and intended to play with the CLIQ for a while and make a tough decision between it and the G1. As it turned out, I walked into the store and played with the CLIQ for about 5 minutes before falling in love with it. The cute saleslady (woman? girl?) approached me midway into my love affair with the device and asked if I needed help. I explained to her that I have done research and I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted. Amazingly, the only thing she tried to up-sell me to was phone insurance. It was a fantastic experience to be sure. The signing-up / porting / phone buying process was quick, painless, and actually enjoyable. I handed over my information (and Sprint account number), she typed the data in, and we chatted for a few minutes while it went through, then I got my phone. I was told to wait 24-ish hours for the number port, but I still had WiFi and Data, I just couldn't receive calls.
I set up MOTOBLUR and all the associated accounts, which was also a surprisingly friendly process. Motorola seems to have done their homework - the MotoBLUR interface elemets seem well-built. I played with the Android Market and tested out the Google Voice app and SIPdroid, which are both quite slick. I changed my wallpaper a few times. Mostly I just sat and played with the phone for hours on end.
The CLIQ is heavy. It feels very solid, and the sliding mechanism is no different. It has a very satisfying *shuck* when it pops into position, and there is very little wiggle when open or closed. The Android implementation seems quite snappy as well - I haven't been left waiting much. There are the times where the phone is overloaded (multitasking, downloading, and updating things simultaneously), but for the most part, it is wonderful.
The contacts manager is a bit unwieldy, since it defaults to a list of ALL my contacts - Facebook, Google, Exchange, Last.FM(?), Twitter, etc. - even those that have no phone number associated. I was concerned at first, but then realized I could bypass the whole mess and show contacts from a single service at a time (Google!). Similarly, blur's "Happenings" applications aggregates all the status updates from all the networks I added. Inside the application proper, I can filter by service, unfortunately, though, the gadget for the home screen does not allow such filters, making it next to useless for me, who has nothing but disdain for Facebook.
I love this phone - and so far, I love T-Mobile. Service at home isn't as strong as Sprint was, but WiFi makes that less of a problem. The thing I love most is the lack of a contract: I go month-to-month with no obligation, and I own my phone outright. No prorated early termination fees here.
I'm sure I'll have more to say about the CLIQ later. So far, my major complaint is that the keyboard isn't perfect - it's a little mushy. But that's about it for now. I downloaded the latest firmware first thing when I got home, so I can't comment on battery savings / screen accuracy except to say that both seem to be doing well so far.
I bought a new phone today, and it has been wonderful. I drove out to the T-Mobile store this morning around 10, and intended to play with the CLIQ for a while and make a tough decision between it and the G1. As it turned out, I walked into the store and played with the CLIQ for about 5 minutes before falling in love with it. The cute saleslady (woman? girl?) approached me midway into my love affair with the device and asked if I needed help. I explained to her that I have done research and I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted. Amazingly, the only thing she tried to up-sell me to was phone insurance. It was a fantastic experience to be sure. The signing-up / porting / phone buying process was quick, painless, and actually enjoyable. I handed over my information (and Sprint account number), she typed the data in, and we chatted for a few minutes while it went through, then I got my phone. I was told to wait 24-ish hours for the number port, but I still had WiFi and Data, I just couldn't receive calls.
I set up MOTOBLUR and all the associated accounts, which was also a surprisingly friendly process. Motorola seems to have done their homework - the MotoBLUR interface elemets seem well-built. I played with the Android Market and tested out the Google Voice app and SIPdroid, which are both quite slick. I changed my wallpaper a few times. Mostly I just sat and played with the phone for hours on end.
The CLIQ is heavy. It feels very solid, and the sliding mechanism is no different. It has a very satisfying *shuck* when it pops into position, and there is very little wiggle when open or closed. The Android implementation seems quite snappy as well - I haven't been left waiting much. There are the times where the phone is overloaded (multitasking, downloading, and updating things simultaneously), but for the most part, it is wonderful.
The contacts manager is a bit unwieldy, since it defaults to a list of ALL my contacts - Facebook, Google, Exchange, Last.FM(?), Twitter, etc. - even those that have no phone number associated. I was concerned at first, but then realized I could bypass the whole mess and show contacts from a single service at a time (Google!). Similarly, blur's "Happenings" applications aggregates all the status updates from all the networks I added. Inside the application proper, I can filter by service, unfortunately, though, the gadget for the home screen does not allow such filters, making it next to useless for me, who has nothing but disdain for Facebook.
I love this phone - and so far, I love T-Mobile. Service at home isn't as strong as Sprint was, but WiFi makes that less of a problem. The thing I love most is the lack of a contract: I go month-to-month with no obligation, and I own my phone outright. No prorated early termination fees here.
I'm sure I'll have more to say about the CLIQ later. So far, my major complaint is that the keyboard isn't perfect - it's a little mushy. But that's about it for now. I downloaded the latest firmware first thing when I got home, so I can't comment on battery savings / screen accuracy except to say that both seem to be doing well so far.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Slayed
Oh, hello everyone.
I've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a few weeks now, and I don't think I've mentioned it much except in passing. It is phenomenal. Almost Firefly-quality television except 7 seasons long. I haven't been speeding through Buffy like I did with The Office, mostly because Buffy is an hour-long show, unlike the bite-sized episodes of The Office. It's harder to fit a 43-minute episode into little gaps. Also, I haven't been rushing through them. It's been a struggle for inattentive me, but I've been making an effort to pay close attention - and it has been rewarding. It is easy to see why this show did so well - and it makes it all the more frustrating the Firefly, a show by the same people with the same style, got canned so soon after its conception.
Buffy is surprisingly deep, not to mention scary and disturbing. I am currently two episodes away from the end of season 4, and already it has been interesting to see the show turn darker and darker, and tackle more taboo topics as the writers get bolder. It seems, at points, that the goal of certain episodes is to alienate the viewers, to make them feel as uncomfortable as possible. At other points, it seems like Joss and his writers have personal vendettas against their characters. Never before have I seen a show hate its characters so much, and the show is better for it. People end up in horrible (and horrific) situations with some regularity, not to mention the number of folks that meet their demise on the show.
I'm actually somewhat excited to finish all 7 seasons and then start again - the perspective will most certainly add something to the early episodes. If you do watch the show, be sure to stay away from Wikipedia - there are spoilers everywhere (as expected), and I manged to find a few things I didn't want to know. I have been very fortunate to have a sort-of Buffy guide in Heathertooth, who has been very helpful in indoctrinating me.
But I'm supposed to be doing homework. To be fair, I got a fair amount finished today, I just have use cases and other such nonsense to write for my Mobile Apps lab. Speaking of that, I've switched my focus from BlackBerry to Android since, well, I've already started to make preparations for the change in cell carriers and my switch to an Android phone. I'm actually kind-of excited about the application I want to make, so it would be nice to be able to use it.
I was supposed to do laundry today, but I forgot. Tomorrow, then.
I've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a few weeks now, and I don't think I've mentioned it much except in passing. It is phenomenal. Almost Firefly-quality television except 7 seasons long. I haven't been speeding through Buffy like I did with The Office, mostly because Buffy is an hour-long show, unlike the bite-sized episodes of The Office. It's harder to fit a 43-minute episode into little gaps. Also, I haven't been rushing through them. It's been a struggle for inattentive me, but I've been making an effort to pay close attention - and it has been rewarding. It is easy to see why this show did so well - and it makes it all the more frustrating the Firefly, a show by the same people with the same style, got canned so soon after its conception.
Buffy is surprisingly deep, not to mention scary and disturbing. I am currently two episodes away from the end of season 4, and already it has been interesting to see the show turn darker and darker, and tackle more taboo topics as the writers get bolder. It seems, at points, that the goal of certain episodes is to alienate the viewers, to make them feel as uncomfortable as possible. At other points, it seems like Joss and his writers have personal vendettas against their characters. Never before have I seen a show hate its characters so much, and the show is better for it. People end up in horrible (and horrific) situations with some regularity, not to mention the number of folks that meet their demise on the show.
I'm actually somewhat excited to finish all 7 seasons and then start again - the perspective will most certainly add something to the early episodes. If you do watch the show, be sure to stay away from Wikipedia - there are spoilers everywhere (as expected), and I manged to find a few things I didn't want to know. I have been very fortunate to have a sort-of Buffy guide in Heathertooth, who has been very helpful in indoctrinating me.
But I'm supposed to be doing homework. To be fair, I got a fair amount finished today, I just have use cases and other such nonsense to write for my Mobile Apps lab. Speaking of that, I've switched my focus from BlackBerry to Android since, well, I've already started to make preparations for the change in cell carriers and my switch to an Android phone. I'm actually kind-of excited about the application I want to make, so it would be nice to be able to use it.
I was supposed to do laundry today, but I forgot. Tomorrow, then.
Friday, December 11, 2009
The Hunt
So all this and I'm still cruising right toward unemployment.
I know, I know - I don't really have anything to worry about, it's just hard to be positive for a little while after getting turned down (again). To be honest, I'm not surprised: I'm not the CS major they were looking for. The rejection did manage to kill my motivation for the day, and as such, I have gotten just about zero homework done today. I pasted some graphs in my lab notebook, and that was it. I've still got a ton to do between now and Monday.
I've decided I'm buying a phone, dammit. It will either be a CLIQ or a G1 on T-Mobile's new Even More Plus plan. Yes, the phone is pricey right at the outset, but I will (a) be on a GSM network for full phone-changing freedom and (b) not be under any contract of any sort. Yes, this is sort-of like admitting gadget addiction, but it's been over 2 years since my last phone entered service, and it's starting to age noticeably. But all this talk of phones has a purpose on the original theme of this post, I swear.
I've kind-of decided I should be pursuing a job in the intersection of my hobbies and my professional skills. That leaves me looking in cell phones (RIM and Motorola?), cameras (Kodak), and music (who knows). We'll see how that hunt goes. I've also started thinking about applying for tech writing jobs. The only problem I'm running into there is that I don't have a portfolio of work since I haven't really done much yet. That will change after this quarter, though, so it may become a more viable option as time passes.
I got confirmation that I will have a ride home from school for winter break (thanks Dad!) so that I can bring my guitar/amp/cabinet home with me. I need something other than the internet to do, so it will be nice to have some gear home with me.
Crap, I have a lot to do: I have to finish the post-lab work, do the networking homework, and work on the mobile apps lab. I really should have gotten more done. Too late now, I guess.
I know, I know - I don't really have anything to worry about, it's just hard to be positive for a little while after getting turned down (again). To be honest, I'm not surprised: I'm not the CS major they were looking for. The rejection did manage to kill my motivation for the day, and as such, I have gotten just about zero homework done today. I pasted some graphs in my lab notebook, and that was it. I've still got a ton to do between now and Monday.
I've decided I'm buying a phone, dammit. It will either be a CLIQ or a G1 on T-Mobile's new Even More Plus plan. Yes, the phone is pricey right at the outset, but I will (a) be on a GSM network for full phone-changing freedom and (b) not be under any contract of any sort. Yes, this is sort-of like admitting gadget addiction, but it's been over 2 years since my last phone entered service, and it's starting to age noticeably. But all this talk of phones has a purpose on the original theme of this post, I swear.
I've kind-of decided I should be pursuing a job in the intersection of my hobbies and my professional skills. That leaves me looking in cell phones (RIM and Motorola?), cameras (Kodak), and music (who knows). We'll see how that hunt goes. I've also started thinking about applying for tech writing jobs. The only problem I'm running into there is that I don't have a portfolio of work since I haven't really done much yet. That will change after this quarter, though, so it may become a more viable option as time passes.
I got confirmation that I will have a ride home from school for winter break (thanks Dad!) so that I can bring my guitar/amp/cabinet home with me. I need something other than the internet to do, so it will be nice to have some gear home with me.
Crap, I have a lot to do: I have to finish the post-lab work, do the networking homework, and work on the mobile apps lab. I really should have gotten more done. Too late now, I guess.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Battle of the Phones
I am in the midst of one of the most difficult decisions of my life for the next two or so years: What phone do I buy? I've narrowed things down to two options, but I'll try to walk you through my decision-making process up to this point.
There are a ton of "pretty good" phones out there, but very few are "good", while ven fewer are downright awesome. I set out with a few criteria: I wanted a physical QWERTY keyboard, I wanted Google Voice integration, and I didn't want to pay more than I had to. Looking at plans, I set my ceiling at $60. This gave me 500 minutes, unlimited texting, and unlimited data on either Sprint or T-Mobile. This meant no Droid, but I wasn't too heartbroken. Nothing else that is exclusive to either AT&T or Verizon interests me in the least.
I knew I didn't want to deal with the pit of horrible that has been my Windows Mobile experience. Countless reviews have stated again and again that WinMo, even at 6.5, is not ready for primetime. My phone list looked something like this:
Sprint: Samsung Moment, BlackBerry Tour, Palm Pre, Palm Pixi
T-Mobile: T-Mo G1, Motorola CLIQ, BlackBerry Curve 8900, BlackBerry Bold
Right away, I struck the Curve and the Bold from the ballot: Sprint has superior coverage in my experience, so if I'm going to end up with a BlackBerry, I would go with the Sprint Tour. Simple decision. Next on the chopping block was the CLIQ. While it is a solid device, the plan I chose on T-mobile requires me to buy my phone outright - there's no special contract pricing, so $400 for a phone based on a 2-year-old reference design seemed to be a bit too much.
Sprint's decisions were a bit harder. I visited my neighborhood Sprint store over Thanksgiving break to play with the devices, and I went back to another store later with a few friends. The Palm Pre, formerly the object of my desire, was the first to go. I couldn't stand the keyboard - it is too flat and too cramped for me to feel good about it, especially when compared to some of the other contenders. The Pixi seems nice, but it is almost too small. Also, the device is a little underpowered, so it was out. The Samsung Moment is currently in question. The demo phone I played with at the Sprint store was slow - embarrassingly so. I was able to stay 4 or 5 characters ahead of the display when writing text messages. Even my ancient Motorola Q isn't that slow. Considering the beefed-up processor in the Moment, I was extremely disappointed by how laggy the device was. To make matters worse, the phone hasn't been cracked open yet, and Samsung isn't helping out any. I read through a number of forums about trying to break the Moment open to allow new ROMs to be flashed, but nobody had any success. This is a dealbreaker for me: If your factory OS image is going to be unusable, at least allow other people to fix it for you.
After the dust cleared, there were two options left on the table: Sprint's BlackBerry Tour and T-Mobile's G1 (with a modded ROM, of course).
The tour's keyboard is to die for, and the screen is beautiful as well. It is a snappy device with just about everything I want with the notable exception of WiFi. The G1 is a bit older, but some of the available ROMs really bring it to life. Slicker Google Voice integration is a plus, but I have to buy the phone off-contract.
Furthermore, there is the battle of the carriers: I am currently with Sprint, so staying there would alleviate any issues with number porting or contract moving. Of course, in this plan, I would be signed up with Sprint for another 2 years. T-mobile makes me buy the phone off-contract, and I would have to go through the pain of number porting, but the plan is month-to-month with no contract or ETF to sign. Also, I get the benefit of being on a GSM network, thus allowing me to change my phone whenever I feel like it (say, when the Nokia N900 finally shows up).
So I'm stuck. Do I get the business communicator on the path of least resistance, or do I brave the smaller service grid and get the fun phone? My reliance on MSOE's exchange servers will have to drop off pending my graduation, so perhaps Exchange support isn't as important.
WiFi tethering with the G1 is tempting, but the Tour's keyboard really is that good. I want to see the Google Voice applications on both devices for myself. I got a look at the Android app on video, but I'd still like to tinker with it. I've played with both devices quite a bit in person, and I am quite sure I would be happy with either. The keyboard on the G1 is a little awkward, thanks to the chin, but the onscreen keyboards for quick input make up for it.
But now that I've revisited my browsing history for this post, I'm curious about the CLIQ again - I haven't played with one, and T-mo has an interest-free installment plan to let me split up the payments of the phone. Is it worth it? I have no idea.
So what say you, fair readers? What should I do?
There are a ton of "pretty good" phones out there, but very few are "good", while ven fewer are downright awesome. I set out with a few criteria: I wanted a physical QWERTY keyboard, I wanted Google Voice integration, and I didn't want to pay more than I had to. Looking at plans, I set my ceiling at $60. This gave me 500 minutes, unlimited texting, and unlimited data on either Sprint or T-Mobile. This meant no Droid, but I wasn't too heartbroken. Nothing else that is exclusive to either AT&T or Verizon interests me in the least.
I knew I didn't want to deal with the pit of horrible that has been my Windows Mobile experience. Countless reviews have stated again and again that WinMo, even at 6.5, is not ready for primetime. My phone list looked something like this:
Sprint: Samsung Moment, BlackBerry Tour, Palm Pre, Palm Pixi
T-Mobile: T-Mo G1, Motorola CLIQ, BlackBerry Curve 8900, BlackBerry Bold
Right away, I struck the Curve and the Bold from the ballot: Sprint has superior coverage in my experience, so if I'm going to end up with a BlackBerry, I would go with the Sprint Tour. Simple decision. Next on the chopping block was the CLIQ. While it is a solid device, the plan I chose on T-mobile requires me to buy my phone outright - there's no special contract pricing, so $400 for a phone based on a 2-year-old reference design seemed to be a bit too much.
Sprint's decisions were a bit harder. I visited my neighborhood Sprint store over Thanksgiving break to play with the devices, and I went back to another store later with a few friends. The Palm Pre, formerly the object of my desire, was the first to go. I couldn't stand the keyboard - it is too flat and too cramped for me to feel good about it, especially when compared to some of the other contenders. The Pixi seems nice, but it is almost too small. Also, the device is a little underpowered, so it was out. The Samsung Moment is currently in question. The demo phone I played with at the Sprint store was slow - embarrassingly so. I was able to stay 4 or 5 characters ahead of the display when writing text messages. Even my ancient Motorola Q isn't that slow. Considering the beefed-up processor in the Moment, I was extremely disappointed by how laggy the device was. To make matters worse, the phone hasn't been cracked open yet, and Samsung isn't helping out any. I read through a number of forums about trying to break the Moment open to allow new ROMs to be flashed, but nobody had any success. This is a dealbreaker for me: If your factory OS image is going to be unusable, at least allow other people to fix it for you.
After the dust cleared, there were two options left on the table: Sprint's BlackBerry Tour and T-Mobile's G1 (with a modded ROM, of course).
The tour's keyboard is to die for, and the screen is beautiful as well. It is a snappy device with just about everything I want with the notable exception of WiFi. The G1 is a bit older, but some of the available ROMs really bring it to life. Slicker Google Voice integration is a plus, but I have to buy the phone off-contract.
Furthermore, there is the battle of the carriers: I am currently with Sprint, so staying there would alleviate any issues with number porting or contract moving. Of course, in this plan, I would be signed up with Sprint for another 2 years. T-mobile makes me buy the phone off-contract, and I would have to go through the pain of number porting, but the plan is month-to-month with no contract or ETF to sign. Also, I get the benefit of being on a GSM network, thus allowing me to change my phone whenever I feel like it (say, when the Nokia N900 finally shows up).
So I'm stuck. Do I get the business communicator on the path of least resistance, or do I brave the smaller service grid and get the fun phone? My reliance on MSOE's exchange servers will have to drop off pending my graduation, so perhaps Exchange support isn't as important.
WiFi tethering with the G1 is tempting, but the Tour's keyboard really is that good. I want to see the Google Voice applications on both devices for myself. I got a look at the Android app on video, but I'd still like to tinker with it. I've played with both devices quite a bit in person, and I am quite sure I would be happy with either. The keyboard on the G1 is a little awkward, thanks to the chin, but the onscreen keyboards for quick input make up for it.
But now that I've revisited my browsing history for this post, I'm curious about the CLIQ again - I haven't played with one, and T-mo has an interest-free installment plan to let me split up the payments of the phone. Is it worth it? I have no idea.
So what say you, fair readers? What should I do?
Monday, December 07, 2009
Interviews I
My big, scary interview was today. It was quite a day.
Yesterday afternoon I train-ed over to MKE and hopped on a plane to MSP, where I got to experience a Boston Coach. There was a dude in the airport holding a sign with my name on it. I followed him to a fancy leather-upholstered Lincoln, which drove me to the hotel where I spent the night is a surprisingly ritzy room. That is, there were 5 pillows on the giant bed, and there was a hot tub just sort of chilling in one corner of the room. I used all 5 pillows. I did not use the hot tub.
This morning I woke up from my toasty (and gigantic) bed and suited up. I met up with some of the other candidates for the job(s) in the lobby, and we were picked up and taken to the company's regional HQ. We toured two of the buildings and got a quick look at the machines, and then it was off to interviews. Lots and lots of interviews.
I could probably be more descriptive were I more awake, but this will have to do. The first four interviews went well. I had good discussions, I was able to provide answers to most of the questions, and I was able to talk my way through most of the questions I couldn't answer. All of the interviewers really seemed excited to be there, and excited to meet me, and excited about the program I am applying for. They seemed happy - much more so than last summer. The fifth interview was less good, but I don't think it went horribly. I had a heck of a time trying to figure out how I would solve a sudoku puzzle in code, but one of the two interviewers seemed ok with it. I can't feel too bad; I'm not a software guy.
The day was interesting. There were the five interviews, but the interviewers stayed with us all day, even during lunch and the breaks throughout the day. This meant that I was onstage all day - there were always eyes watching. It was a bit stressful, but I did my best to be casual and social and, well, myself.
I'm extremely tired. We were rushed to the airport following the interview wrap-up, and now I am back in my apartment. I'm sure I will have more intelligent things to say about the whole process once I have slept. It was interesting, to say the least. I'm supposed to send the HR manager an email tonight or tomorrow with my thoughts on the process. Seeing as how I haven't really been able to put a sentence together in this blogpost, I'm thinking I'll email him tomorrow.
Look at all those contractions. I really do need to sleep.
On a side note, when I got back this evening, there were no fewer than 18 "notifications" on Facebook. Thank you all for your support, I appreciate it!
Yesterday afternoon I train-ed over to MKE and hopped on a plane to MSP, where I got to experience a Boston Coach. There was a dude in the airport holding a sign with my name on it. I followed him to a fancy leather-upholstered Lincoln, which drove me to the hotel where I spent the night is a surprisingly ritzy room. That is, there were 5 pillows on the giant bed, and there was a hot tub just sort of chilling in one corner of the room. I used all 5 pillows. I did not use the hot tub.
This morning I woke up from my toasty (and gigantic) bed and suited up. I met up with some of the other candidates for the job(s) in the lobby, and we were picked up and taken to the company's regional HQ. We toured two of the buildings and got a quick look at the machines, and then it was off to interviews. Lots and lots of interviews.
I could probably be more descriptive were I more awake, but this will have to do. The first four interviews went well. I had good discussions, I was able to provide answers to most of the questions, and I was able to talk my way through most of the questions I couldn't answer. All of the interviewers really seemed excited to be there, and excited to meet me, and excited about the program I am applying for. They seemed happy - much more so than last summer. The fifth interview was less good, but I don't think it went horribly. I had a heck of a time trying to figure out how I would solve a sudoku puzzle in code, but one of the two interviewers seemed ok with it. I can't feel too bad; I'm not a software guy.
The day was interesting. There were the five interviews, but the interviewers stayed with us all day, even during lunch and the breaks throughout the day. This meant that I was onstage all day - there were always eyes watching. It was a bit stressful, but I did my best to be casual and social and, well, myself.
I'm extremely tired. We were rushed to the airport following the interview wrap-up, and now I am back in my apartment. I'm sure I will have more intelligent things to say about the whole process once I have slept. It was interesting, to say the least. I'm supposed to send the HR manager an email tonight or tomorrow with my thoughts on the process. Seeing as how I haven't really been able to put a sentence together in this blogpost, I'm thinking I'll email him tomorrow.
Look at all those contractions. I really do need to sleep.
On a side note, when I got back this evening, there were no fewer than 18 "notifications" on Facebook. Thank you all for your support, I appreciate it!
Friday, December 04, 2009
Sounds of the Season
Did you know Taylor Swift released a Christmas album? I didn't. I learned this. I love it. It, and Relient K's Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand are really the only Christmas music I can handle outside of the three day Christmas holiday. I'm very scrooge-like, I know. It's just that I don't like Christmas music all that much.
I was somewhat productive on this, my weekday without class. I've hesitated to print out copies of my resume and references for the upcoming interview, but I updated both documents, made phone calls to arrange transportation, and bought my train tickets, so I'd say I'm getting ready. I'll print and pack tomorrow. I should also make sure I have the full gamut of phone numbers that I might need. Those will get into my phone tomorrow too. I need these lists, they put me at ease.
My desk is getting cluttered again, but I can't bring myself to clean it. That would require effort.
Buffy is still great.
I should sleep, tomorrow will be a day. Smartphone shopping/browsing in the morning, then interview prep, and then the homecoming game. Hopefully we'll get some more snow or something. Hockey will be a nice diversion, though.
I was somewhat productive on this, my weekday without class. I've hesitated to print out copies of my resume and references for the upcoming interview, but I updated both documents, made phone calls to arrange transportation, and bought my train tickets, so I'd say I'm getting ready. I'll print and pack tomorrow. I should also make sure I have the full gamut of phone numbers that I might need. Those will get into my phone tomorrow too. I need these lists, they put me at ease.
My desk is getting cluttered again, but I can't bring myself to clean it. That would require effort.
Buffy is still great.
I should sleep, tomorrow will be a day. Smartphone shopping/browsing in the morning, then interview prep, and then the homecoming game. Hopefully we'll get some more snow or something. Hockey will be a nice diversion, though.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Shell
I have been beating my head against some invisible wall for the past 2 or 3 weeks trying to write something, trying to get motivated enough to write. It hasn't been working.
I've been worried, you see: I have this interview. It's just one interview with one company, but it my head, I've made it into some insurmountable thing that is the ultimate end of my life. I have no idea why. I mean, I've already been turned down for one job, so from here on out, it's all uphill, right? It should be. I'm freaked out because I have to travel someplace new to interview. I'm scared because I just found out the the process consists of 5 different interviews one right after the other. I'm worried because I didn't know the answers to every question asked of my on the technical phone interview. I don't know what I would study to get better. I'm scared of this job, and it's affecting me everywhere else.
I tied myself for lowest grade received in college with a second BC this quarter, this time in Computer Architecture II. I keep reminding myself that, according to my grades, that is about an 83% in the class, it's just the grading scale here that is crazy. I haven't been able to convince myself yet. I feel disappointed. I'm doing less school this quarter, down two classes from my previous overloaded quarter. I have no class on Friday for the first time in my college career, it is a strange feeling. I didn't schedule myself for work, though I may end up going in to pick up some extra Christmas cash. Gifts and all that, you know how it goes. I moved one of my labs today so that my only class on Wednesday is at 7pm. I'll work all day. Not that I have so much to do. With my actual boss gone, nobody really knows what to do with me. I help out where I can, but I feel awful useless.
I got a suit for this interview. I mean, I got it because of the interview, but it will be for lots of things - anything I need a suit for, really. It is charcoal and pinstriped and, honestly, I feel like a big kid wearing it. It's like dressing up as a kid, it makes you believe you are so much more mature since you look the part. I'll be so much sharper because I look so much better. Confidence comes from the clothes. I only with I could polish my shoes better. At least I can tie my own tie.
I got my Dad's old Canon AE-1 cleaned and re-sealed over break, and I attempted to shoot a roll of film at Spring Valley before learning that I have gotten so lost in the digital age that I didn't remember how to load a roll of film. My SD cards just click into place, but the film needed to be unrolled and tucked and fed and aligned just so. Shooting the old camera had the effect I wanted though: I slowed down, I thought about composition, I focused then recomposed, I checked exposure. It was marvelous. Sure, it took getting used to, but it was so much less... rushed. I feel like my digital camera rushes me sometimes: "Here, I've got the exposure, now go! Shoot at 4.5fps if you like! Just go! Shoot more! There is plenty of space!" Instead of the twenty-eight carefully framed shots I thought I took, I only got about six before it got too dark. I'm not so upset, though. I tried to remember to double all my shots with digital anyhow, though I felt like I did a better job shooting with the film body. Also, I was right: shooting with a fully manual camera felt better. Having to wind the film made me check to see if I really wanted to take a shot. It wasn't like the loud, grinding winder in my N2000. I think I'll be picking up a Nikon FE or FM soon enough, along with some AI glass to complete the look. I like the AE-1, and I have no intention of dropping it from my kit, but I'd like a body with aperture priority (the AE-1 shoots manual or shutter priority only), and one that will work with all my other F-mount bodies.
Can I apply for tech writing jobs with only a minor? I might try. I wish I could look into the future and see what I'm going to want to do. I want to know.
I've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer as per a recommendation from the Heathertooth. I expected a girl, bubbly show. What I got was scary things from the depths of Joss Whedon's mind. I love it. It is cheesy enough to be funny, but scary enough to keep me up at night. Joss is a master of creeping me out, and he has shown such disdain for his characters even in the first three seasons. I am excited to watch more. I respect Joss Whedon even more now, which I was not sure could happen.
I had been having trouble writing, and I don't know why. I started a dozen or so blog posts before finally being able to write more than a sentence or two. Maybe it was the brilliant episode of Buffy I just watched. Maybe it is Transatlanticism playing. I don't know what made me able to write again, but I'm happy for it.
I'm in Advanced Technical Writing this quarter as part of my TC minor and I am excited. I'll be learning some InDesign, and I'll be doing page layouts and crazy grammar and writing tech docs. I can't wait. My professor will be taking off points in the class if we misspell things in emails to her. I can't express my joy with this class.
I am also in Mobile Application Development, which I am less excited about. Not that it won't be fun, but I want to write an application for a modern OS, so anything I do will be emulator-bound unless I manage to buy a new phone soon. At least it will get me back in the software mindset. I've been thinking in C and Assembly far too long, I need some Java back in my head.
I got an email this morning. I didn't understand its purpose. Something about nostalgia and past love and whatnot. It annoyed me. I was not exactly kind in my response. I was firm, and I felt happy about it all day, so I'm going to assume I was correct. I can't being myself to delete the conversation in Gmail, because I was so candid and honest. It felt good.
I should sleep, though. I have a long day of feeling useless tomorrow. Two hours of Senior Design, six of work, then seventy-five minutes of class in the evening.
The world is slowly freezing again. All we can do is freeze with it.
I've been worried, you see: I have this interview. It's just one interview with one company, but it my head, I've made it into some insurmountable thing that is the ultimate end of my life. I have no idea why. I mean, I've already been turned down for one job, so from here on out, it's all uphill, right? It should be. I'm freaked out because I have to travel someplace new to interview. I'm scared because I just found out the the process consists of 5 different interviews one right after the other. I'm worried because I didn't know the answers to every question asked of my on the technical phone interview. I don't know what I would study to get better. I'm scared of this job, and it's affecting me everywhere else.
I tied myself for lowest grade received in college with a second BC this quarter, this time in Computer Architecture II. I keep reminding myself that, according to my grades, that is about an 83% in the class, it's just the grading scale here that is crazy. I haven't been able to convince myself yet. I feel disappointed. I'm doing less school this quarter, down two classes from my previous overloaded quarter. I have no class on Friday for the first time in my college career, it is a strange feeling. I didn't schedule myself for work, though I may end up going in to pick up some extra Christmas cash. Gifts and all that, you know how it goes. I moved one of my labs today so that my only class on Wednesday is at 7pm. I'll work all day. Not that I have so much to do. With my actual boss gone, nobody really knows what to do with me. I help out where I can, but I feel awful useless.
I got a suit for this interview. I mean, I got it because of the interview, but it will be for lots of things - anything I need a suit for, really. It is charcoal and pinstriped and, honestly, I feel like a big kid wearing it. It's like dressing up as a kid, it makes you believe you are so much more mature since you look the part. I'll be so much sharper because I look so much better. Confidence comes from the clothes. I only with I could polish my shoes better. At least I can tie my own tie.
I got my Dad's old Canon AE-1 cleaned and re-sealed over break, and I attempted to shoot a roll of film at Spring Valley before learning that I have gotten so lost in the digital age that I didn't remember how to load a roll of film. My SD cards just click into place, but the film needed to be unrolled and tucked and fed and aligned just so. Shooting the old camera had the effect I wanted though: I slowed down, I thought about composition, I focused then recomposed, I checked exposure. It was marvelous. Sure, it took getting used to, but it was so much less... rushed. I feel like my digital camera rushes me sometimes: "Here, I've got the exposure, now go! Shoot at 4.5fps if you like! Just go! Shoot more! There is plenty of space!" Instead of the twenty-eight carefully framed shots I thought I took, I only got about six before it got too dark. I'm not so upset, though. I tried to remember to double all my shots with digital anyhow, though I felt like I did a better job shooting with the film body. Also, I was right: shooting with a fully manual camera felt better. Having to wind the film made me check to see if I really wanted to take a shot. It wasn't like the loud, grinding winder in my N2000. I think I'll be picking up a Nikon FE or FM soon enough, along with some AI glass to complete the look. I like the AE-1, and I have no intention of dropping it from my kit, but I'd like a body with aperture priority (the AE-1 shoots manual or shutter priority only), and one that will work with all my other F-mount bodies.
Can I apply for tech writing jobs with only a minor? I might try. I wish I could look into the future and see what I'm going to want to do. I want to know.
I've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer as per a recommendation from the Heathertooth. I expected a girl, bubbly show. What I got was scary things from the depths of Joss Whedon's mind. I love it. It is cheesy enough to be funny, but scary enough to keep me up at night. Joss is a master of creeping me out, and he has shown such disdain for his characters even in the first three seasons. I am excited to watch more. I respect Joss Whedon even more now, which I was not sure could happen.
I had been having trouble writing, and I don't know why. I started a dozen or so blog posts before finally being able to write more than a sentence or two. Maybe it was the brilliant episode of Buffy I just watched. Maybe it is Transatlanticism playing. I don't know what made me able to write again, but I'm happy for it.
I'm in Advanced Technical Writing this quarter as part of my TC minor and I am excited. I'll be learning some InDesign, and I'll be doing page layouts and crazy grammar and writing tech docs. I can't wait. My professor will be taking off points in the class if we misspell things in emails to her. I can't express my joy with this class.
I am also in Mobile Application Development, which I am less excited about. Not that it won't be fun, but I want to write an application for a modern OS, so anything I do will be emulator-bound unless I manage to buy a new phone soon. At least it will get me back in the software mindset. I've been thinking in C and Assembly far too long, I need some Java back in my head.
I got an email this morning. I didn't understand its purpose. Something about nostalgia and past love and whatnot. It annoyed me. I was not exactly kind in my response. I was firm, and I felt happy about it all day, so I'm going to assume I was correct. I can't being myself to delete the conversation in Gmail, because I was so candid and honest. It felt good.
I should sleep, though. I have a long day of feeling useless tomorrow. Two hours of Senior Design, six of work, then seventy-five minutes of class in the evening.
The world is slowly freezing again. All we can do is freeze with it.
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